Disc-Oragnized Disc Golf

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of those, in this wonderful loving disc golf family of ours that has helped me over the years. I was part of a local disc golf club, a lifetime member no less, years ago, before I decided to take a break from disc golf and more importantly the social circle that supported it. This social circle was at the heart of why I stopped playing disc golf and now it is the same group that is heading up the local club or at least one faction. I got tired of the behind the back tactics and the gossipy nature of it all. I found that many times it crossed the lines of common decency but my concerns fell on deaf ears. And, as time passed, I found that unfounded rumors about me seemed to have perpetuated themselves across town, such that opportunities were threatened or diminished.

Just a little over a year ago, I started back playing disc golf here locally. How things have changed but have remained the same. The only difference is that the amount of BS and rumors and lies is far greater now than I have ever remembered it. Now, this to me is not indicative of the sport but the people involved! Now, I was told by some not to join the local club, so I decided to play disc golf and participate and see how the club was going. This is the same club, by the way, that I was/am a lifetime member. When I did finally decide to join, pay my $25.00, I was informed that memberships were closed.

And, after much confusion over who could vote, whether a PDGA member could vote or not, and the status of lifetime members, I made a request to have membership guidelines listed on the trusty club website. What has transpired from then until now has been nothing short of jaw-dropping. A simple request to post information on a club’s website in which the club is obligated to so to begin with turned into something much larger. That right there is enough for me to take another long break from the wonderful world of locally disorganized disc golf. I

So, I would like to thank those old disc golfers that threw me under the bus years ago and never looked back along with a newer, younger group that seem to have issues with people’s age. I was too young to run a tournament then and now I am too old to have a say. My son is now 11 years old and wants to get out with ole dad and play much more disc golf. I, after spending much time in this sport, am a little apprehensive because I have found very little good to come out my time spent at the organized level!

Disc Golf is a great sport, just like many other sports, but I find it takes the right kind of people to make it work at the local level. When they show up, I may reconsider.